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How to Remove Stains and Discoloration from Granite

Most people think granite will never stain. They are wrong. All granite species are porous and their porosity varies from granite species to species. Food and beverage spills, especially that of greasy foods and cooking oils, can stain a granite surface over time. Hair dyes, colored toiletries, paint and stain pigments – the colorants contained in chemicals, when spilled on granite, will seep into the granite’s pores and discolor the surface.

It’s important to be aware that this is normal and typical for all granite countertops and granite islands in the kitchen. Over time (usually in excess of one year), improper cleaning (such as not completely removing food and beverage spills or residue contained in smoke from cooking) attacks the granite’s color and clarity. As a result, the granite’s surface becomes much darker in color compared than when it was new.

The Solution to Remove Stains from Granite

We have finally developed a Granite Poultice, which removes deeply embedded stains and discoloration from kitchen granite countertops and islands. Our Granite Poultice is specifically formulated to work below the granite’s surface and pull out grease and oil, plus food and beverages that have penetrated into the granite pores. Watch those dark, dull, and discolored areas of your kitchen granite countertops and islands disappear and come back to life. Your granite will look as beautiful as it did on the day your granite was installed.

Granite Poultice is quick and easy to use; restoring the original color and clarity to granite countertops and islands. The product usually takes about 24 hours to fully remove stains from granite, depending upon the age, depth, and severity of the granite’s discoloration and staining.

How to Use Granite Poultice Remove Stains & Discoloration

First, mix the granite poultice with lacquer thinner to the consistency of cookie dough (lacquer thinner can be found at hardware and paint stores).

Next, use a rubber, wood, silicone, or plastic spatula, to spread the granite poultice over the discolored or stained granite surface to a thickness ranging between 1/8 to ¼ inch (similar to a pancakes thickness).

Tightly cover the granite poultice with plastic wrap, or use plastic sheeting applied to the granite surface with duct tape. The idea is to make the granite poultice airtight, enabling granite poultice to maximize its penetration into the granite pores and pull out grease and oil that’s stained the granite surface.

Keep the granite poultice in place for a minimum of 24 hours in order to get the best results. For extremely discolored or stained granite areas, it may be necessary to keep the granite poultice in place for two or three additional days. (In some cases of deeply stained granite, a second application ofgranite poultice is necessary.)

Next, after removing and discarding the granite poultice, it is quite common for granite countertops and islands to appear darker than normal. This is because moisture from the granite poultice has not fully evaporated out of the granite’s pores. It usually takes a few days for the evaporation process, and the granite’s normal color, clarity, and gloss will be fully restored.

After removing and discarding the granite poultice, use our granite cleanerNeutraClean for Granite to clean the restored granite area, then seal this granite area with our granite sealerGranite Guard Protector (SB), then polish this granite area, with our granite polishGranite Polish and Protector. Our granite cleanser, granite sealer, and granite polish, are all included in our Granite Maintenance Kits along with additional items to clean, seal and protect your granite.

Our Granite Poultice is very economical and easy to use. Use one pound of granite poultice to restore two square feet of granite. You can learn more about this product by clicking here.

This article is in response to a question from Rhonda, received 10/05/08.

10 thoughts on “How to Remove Stains and Discoloration from Granite”

question: does this work on dark (tan brown) granite that has lightened streaks (apparently something that spilled on it)? You talk about dark stains being turned to original light color but mine is the opposite. My granite almost looks black and the stains are lighter streaks.

Your problem is not uncommon. The following technique should remedy your situation. First, apply our Granite Poultice and keep it in place for 3 days, then remove the granite poultice and let the treated granite area dry out for another 3 days. If the light discoloration is still visible, email to us a digital photo of your granite, and we will customize a deep penetrating colorant, formulated specifically for granite, which you should apply in the following manner: first, mix the granite colorant with lacquer thinner to a free flowing (soupy) consistency, next, apply the granite colorant with either a brush or cloth material to the light discolored area of your granite, next, cover the granite colorant with a piece of plastic sheeting, 1.5 mil thickness minimum, attached to your granite with duct tape, you want to keep this granite area air tight for 3 days. After 3 days, remove the plastic sheeting, then, remove the granite colorant with paper towels or a piece of cloth, and your granites’ original color should be restored.

Please let me know where i can purchase your product. My countertop directly adjacent to my sink has darkened considerably in an irregular pattern – as though water had been sitting on it for a week – which is NOT the case. HELP!!!!

I recently had granite countertops put in my kitchen. I have the ogee edge and noticed that there were some “gashes” in the edge in a few areas. The granite company came out and sealed and polished the specific areas and a few days later, the granite turned green where the treatment was done. The company came back out and tried to remove and polish off the tinted area to no avail. They are currently contemplating what to do. Will your product work for this?

I need to reseal my granite counter tops but before I do there are stains that need to be removed. I have had success removing grease stains but the granite around the perimeter of the sink appears to have developed a yellowish tinge to the light colored granite. I have hard water and perhaps that is the reason as this area gets wet daily even though I wipe everything down dry every time I finish working at the sink. Can you offer any advice on possible causes for this yellowing and how to restore. Perhaps you have a product that will solve this. I look forward to your response and thank you.

Our granite counter is tan and on three sides of the sink there is
a dark rim of about two inches that just appeared. No water or
any other liquid has touched this area. It appears to be inside the
rim as well. Would the poultice help this, or is there another
problem that we should address.?

My problem is a little different. My granite is lighter under my appliances ie toaster oven, dish rack, and darker on the surfaces that I wipe daily We want to seal the counter tops but not while they are discolored. What can we do to even them out?

We recently put an acrylic cutting board on our granite counter top to set hot items on. When we removed it , to clean under, the granite , under the acrylic had lightened. WHAT WOULD HAVE CAUSED THIS AND WHAT CAN WE DO TO DARKEN THE AREA AGAIN?